


At Night

by ConfessionForAnotherTime



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Mutual Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-25 23:17:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12046344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfessionForAnotherTime/pseuds/ConfessionForAnotherTime
Summary: Her hands brushed his as they both reached for the same carton of cage-free eggs at the grocery store.





	At Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [teeny_blue_robot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeny_blue_robot/gifts).



Her hands brushed his as they both reached for the same carton of cage-free eggs at the grocery store. The flicker from a nearby fluorescent light drew her attention for a moment and she pulled her hand away, motioning for him to take them. His hand drew back as well, startled from the brush against his left hand. 

“Oh, didn’t see you there.” He turned to face her, the scar across his left eye making the mistake glaringly obvious.

Her stomach knotted. “Go ahead. There are plenty of others.” South grabbed for another carton, depositing them in her basket as he grabbed his own. 

“Thanks. My wife would be upset if I went home without eggs this time. I’d lose my head…” He smiled softly, walking with her over to the milk, grabbing a half gallon of two percent and a small bottle of chocolate milk, presumably for himself. 

South reached for the soy milk.  _ Wife. Of course. Oh well. _ “Gotta make sure to keep those ladies happy.” She started off, heading for bread when she noticed him behind her. “What is it?”

“Nothing.”

\---

Weeks passed before she saw him again. She thought it had been a one off like most other people who came in and out of her life, but when she slid up on his left side, grabbing for the yogurt, she couldn’t help but smile. 

“Hey, haven’t seen you in a while. What was your name again?” She had never gotten his name before.  _ Make small talk. _

“Oh, hey! Egg lady. It’s Yancy.” He grabbed a small container of raspberry yogurt, offering one to her as well. 

She shook her head. “I only grabbed for it because I saw you doing it. I’m Erica.” She flipped her hair out of her eyes, only to have the light purple drop back into her vision. “How’s the wife?” 

“Not bad. Could be better. Just sending me out at 3am again to get some stuff. Thankfully, working the late shift makes this seems normal. What about you? Getting anything for your husband?”

“Don’t have one.” She started for the frozen foods, the brunette still following her and asking questions. He had a desperation in his voice at wanting to get to know her and when she looked up over the lean cuisine, she couldn’t help but see a lingering sadness. “Besides, it would cut into my stuff. Ya know, working, going to the gym, walking my dog. Important things.” She followed it with the least bitter laugh she could muster. 

“Important things…”

\---

Two months passed before she saw him again. She had started to go to the gym around 3am instead, wanting to avoid the married but handsome stranger that occupied her thoughts and let her run away with ideas of things never to happen. She didn’t expect to see him when she looked up from the treadmill, stopping in her tracks and stumbling off the machine. 

“Yancy?”

“That’s me, darlin’. Haven’t seen you in a while. I didn’t know you went here.”

“Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for the last four years.” She hopped back on the treadmill. “What happened to the grocery store?”

“No need to go anymore.”

She tilted her head, keeping her pace as she ran. “No?”

“No. She left a month ago. I’ve just been going through the motions. The paperwork came a week later. Allison was never much of one for actual goodbyes.” He looked down. 

South stopped on the treadmill, hitting the button to slow the belt as she stood on the rails. “That sucks. Any reason?” She stepped off once the belt stopped, facing him and tilting his head back up to look at her. 

“She was seeing someone else. My work schedule. A laundry list of reasons and no way for me to fix it.” He shrugged. “Not like she wanted me to fix it. She wanted a way out and didn’t know how to ask.”

“That sucks.” No sooner had the words left her mouth did he lean over to kiss her. She had wanted this since they met, but the timing. She didn’t want to be the rebound in the middle of a divorce. She didn’t want to be second fiddle if he still loved her. She still couldn’t help the feel of his lips against hers or how he held her so gently when he knew she obviously didn’t need to be. 

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since we met.”

I haven’t stopped thinking about you either.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you.”

I wanted to kiss you too.

“I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

Trust me. So do I.

\---

She didn’t see him again. He had come into her life and left just as quickly, leaving a whirlwind of emotion that she couldn’t quite describe. Her nights at the grocery store, she would look for him. She wanted to see that friendly face and hope there was something there. 

On her nights at the gym, she would watch the mirrors, looking for that flash of tan shorts that he wore with his black top. Nothing. She hunkered down with her weights, doing her bicep curls to keep her eyes down and focused on the workout instead of looking for him. She should have known better than to get involved or even think of getting involved with a married man. Separated man. Whatever. 

She grabbed her towel, heading to the showers to rinse off the sweat and work the tension out of her muscles with the warm water. Now she was just going through the motions. Now she was the one who felt lost. Now she… Inside her locker was a note.  _ What I did was inappropriate. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in that position. I should have asked. I’m not excusing my behavior. I wish we had met at a different time so that something could have happened. I’m not sure if you’ll understand, but I would have loved to have gotten to know you under normal circumstances. -Yancy _

Erica stared at the letter, looking around the locker room. She quickly dressed, barely drying herself. She ran out the door, finding she was too late if he was still anywhere close. She was the only one in the parking lot. She clenched her fist, crumpling the note. Letting out a sigh, she went to her car, driving home for another lonely night with only a note of wishes and what could have beens to keep her warm. 

She could still dream of what they could have been.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this [post.](http://jiluan.tumblr.com/post/165113392848/jiluan-jiluan-jiluan-the-sexual-tension)


End file.
